Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has made the National League MVP race more competitive with his high-caliber defense, historic plate discipline and offensive surge (23 home runs and 26 stolen bases). 

While Shohei Ohtani is the favorite for NL MVP, his recent knee issue has placed a pause on his pitching, which has narrowed his lead in the betting market. 

Crow-Armstrong is currently challenging him in the race as he is matching Ohtani in batting average (.290 vs. 282), on-base percentage (.388 vs. .387), and home runs (23 vs. 22). His all-around value makes him a solid candidate for NL MVP.

His walk rate has significantly climbed from 4.5% in 2025 to 11.5% this season, which is the largest increase for any qualified sub-5% hitter since Al Kaline in 1954-55. 

The NL MVP race is getting rather interesting

PCA has climbed all the way to +185 at @BetMGM after being +3000 just 3 weeks ago.

Shohei Ohtani remains the favorite at -235 pic.twitter.com/yctL9UOrrQ

Pete-Crow Armstrong's recent surge speaks for itself

Across Crow-Armstrong's last 55 game, he has upheld a 211 wRC+, a 1.161 OPS, a 14.8% walk rate and a 5.7 fWAR. That's a significant season sample that equates to about a 17 WAR full-season pace for over two months. 

His breakout surge in June had him batting .381 with 11 home runs while boasting a 1.249 OPS. But he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down in July, especially with his Gold Glove defense, as he recorded his 33rd career five-star catch on July 20 against the Detroit Tigers. He made a diving grab covering 70 feet in range in about only four seconds. 

Performing as one of the top players in MLB right now, he leads MLB with a 7.0 WAR ahead of Ohtani's 5.8, making a strong case for his MVP-caliber season. 

If Ohtani continues to not pitch, the odds will be in Crow-Armstrong's favor to win NL MVP, as he is sporting a 155 wRC+ and a 20 Outs Above Average (OAA) this season.